Young Adult Fiction for Adults

When you think of teen fiction, what comes to mind?  Maybe sparkly vampires, teen death matches, and the inevitable teen without one or both parents?  Maybe you haven’t forayed into the Young Adult section for years.  Let me tell you, you are missing out!  Young Adult fiction has so much to offer, so take a vacation from adult fiction, and let me recommend to you something from YA.

Many adult are reading in the YA section for varying reasons.  To check out a highly acclaimed novel, to keep up with what their own teens are reading, or to try out a title that just caught their eye.  Here’s what a few of the Durham Library Staff have read in YA.

Christine – Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – It’s got action, interesting moral themes, and it’s deeper than your average space opera.  You won’t see the twist at the end coming, at least I didn’t!

Cyndi – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – Very good, I thought it was very enjoyable.  It’s a difficult topic, but the author handled it very well.  I also enjoyed another of his books, Paper Towns.

Diana – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I thought the books were action-packed, I thought Katniss was a strong main character, I enjoyed the love triangle of Katniss, Gale and Peeta.  All three were exciting reads, the first one being my favorite.

Jennifer – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – It was good, a good read for any age because anyone can relate to the characters and it was inspirational.

Patti -  Shadow on the Sun by David MacInnis Gill - This is the 3rd book in the Black Hole Sun series.  I loved the non-stop action and the great characters, especially Mimi!

And then you come to me, the young adult librarian.  And I am just BURSTING with suggestions for anyone interested in trying out some YA.  Several prominent adult authors have even dipped their toes in the YA pool and written some excellent novels.  For example there’s…

Brandon Sanderson

Adult fiction – Mistborn fantasy series, last three Wheel of Time fantasy books

YA fiction – The Rithmatist -  As Wild Chalklings threaten the American Isles and Rithmatists are humanity's only defense, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice.

James Patterson

Adult Fiction – Alex Cross, Priavte, and Women’s Murder Club series as well as various standalone novels

YA Fiction – Maximum Ride, Witch and Wizard, and his most recent YA series, Confessions.  I am currently listening to Confessions of a Murder Suspect the first book in my car and enjoying it tremendously.

Jodi Picoult

Adult Fiction – My Sister’s Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, and various other novels.

YA Fiction – Between the Lines -            Told in their separate voices, sixteen-year-old Prince Oliver, who wants to break free of his fairy tale existence, and fifteen-year-old Delilah, a loner obsessed with Prince Oliver and the book in which he exists, work together to seek his freedom.

John Grisham

Adult Fiction – The Testament, Calico Joe, and various other novels.

YA Fiction – Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer - With two attorneys for parents, thirteen-year-old Theodore Boone knows more about the law than most lawyers do. But when a high profile murder trial comes to his small town and Theo gets pulled into it, it's up to this amateur attorney to save the day.

Or perhaps you’re interested in finding a totally new author to explore?  Here are my personal recommendations by genre:

Science Fiction

Pick: Cinder by Marissa Meyer – I try to get everyone to read this book, just cause I love it so darn much!  Cinderella as a cyborg in a futuristic China at war with moon people!  Do I need to say more? - As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.

Honorable Mention: The Selection by Kiera Cass – The Bachelor meets The Hunger Games - Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her.

Fantasy

Pick: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman – Excellent for fans of classic fantasy featuring dragons, magic, and, in this book, music! -  In a world where dragons and humans coexist in an uneasy truce and dragons can assume human form, Seraphina, whose mother died giving birth to her, grapples with her own identity amid magical secrets and royal scandals, while she struggles to accept and develop her extraordinary musical talents.

Honorable Mention: Eragon by Christopher Paolini -  In Alagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

Historical Fiction

Pick: Chains: Seeds of America by Laurie Halse Anderson – An author well known for her hard hitting contemporary fiction also writes excellent historical fiction!  An engrossing tale of Colonial America from the perspective of a young slave girl. - After being sold to a cruel couple in New York City, a slave named Isabel spies for the rebels during the Revolutionary War.

Honorable Mention: The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli -  A story that imagines what the real Mona Lisa’s life was like.  In Renaissance Italy, Elisabetta longs for romance, and when Leonardo da Vinci introduces her to Guiliano de Medici, whose family rules Florence but is about to be deposed, she has no inkling of the romance--and sorrow--that will ensue. 

Action/Adventure

Pick: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne – A schoolbus full of children ranging from kindergarteners to teens is on it’s afternoon route when disaster strikes.  14 children take shelter in a Walmart-like department store from deadly chemicals outside.  Reminded me of Lord of the Flies in a different era & setting. - Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world--as they know it--apart.

Honorable Mention: The Raft by S. A. Bodeen - Robie's last-minute flight to the Midway Atoll proves to be a nightmare when the plane goes down in shark-infested waters, but the real terror begins when the co-pilot Max pulls her onto the raft.

Contemporary Fiction

Pick: Pop by Gordon Korman – A pick for the sports fans out there!  Not only does this book touch on a teen boy’s and an ex-player’s love for the game, but also incorporates the recent headlines involving concussions.  - Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.

Honorable Mention: Sold by Patricia McCormick - Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi, though poor, enjoys her life until the Himalayan monsoons wash away her family's crops and she is sold to a brothel in India by her stepfather. She remembers her mother's wisdom, "Simply to endure is to triumph," until the day comes that she can reclaim her life.

Paranormal

Pick: Wings by Aprilynne Pike – A 4-book series about a young woman who discovers that she is an unusual sort of fairy.  Magic, action, trolls, and a love triangle – everything you could ever want in a paranormal novel! - When a plant blooms out of fifteen-year-old Laurel's back, it leads her to discover the fact that she is a faerie and that she has a crucial role to play in keeping the world safe from the encroaching enemy trolls.

Honorable Mention: Immortal City by Scott Speer – In a world where angels are real and among us, they are the super star celebrities of the world.  They protect the rich, famous, and powerful and grace every magazine cover.  Everyone is obsessed with their every appearance- except Maddy…until she meets Jackson Godspeed.

Mystery

Pick: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga – A truly creepy and tense serial killer story with a fascinating twist.  The main character, Jazz, is the son of an infamous serial killer.  Jazz struggles with the idea that he might become like his father, while trying to help the local police catch a copycat killer.  - Seventeen-year-old Jazz learned all about being a serial killer from his notorious "Dear Old Dad," but believes he has a conscience that will help fight his own urges and right some of his father's wrongs, so he secretly helps the police apprehend the town's newest murderer, "The Impressionist."

Honorable Mention:  Death Cloud by Andrew Lane -  In 1868, with his army officer father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously "unwell," fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire, where he uncovers his first murder and a diabolical villain.

I feel that I really must stop here, though I could go on and on.  If you’ve read something from the Young Adult world and liked it, please share in the comments!